The Three Laws of Nature, Moses, and Christ, Corrupted by the Sodomites, Pharisees, and Papists · chunk 16 of 30
Bale, John · published 1548 · first performed or written 1538 [revised c.1547 and 1562] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.86 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Thus a blind crypple, I wander here alone, Abiding the time, and grace of restoration, By the son of God To whom I make my moan, My cause to pity, and grant me supportation, Lest I be left here, to utter desolation, And extreme decay, without any remedy. If he did not help, of goodness and of mercy, Ye christian princes, God hath given you the pour, With sceptre and sword, all vices to correct. Let not ambition, nor Covetousness devour, Your faithful subjects, nor your officers infect. Have to your clergy, a diligent respect And see they do not▪ corrupt the laws of God, For that doth require, a terrible heavy rod. God gave me to man, and left me in tables of stone, That I of hardness, a law should specify, But the pharysees, corrupted me anon, And took from me clean, the quyvernesse of body, With clearness of sight, & other pleasures many. Now will I to Christ, that he may me restore, To more perfection, than ever I had afore. unfaithfulness hath, corrupted every Law, To the great decay, of Adam's posterity. Were is not for me, which now do/ hither draw, All flesh would perish, no man should saved be. I am Christ's Gospel, and infallible verity, Soch a power of God, as saveth all that believe, No burden nor yoke, that any man will grieve. In the blood of Christ, I am a full forgiveness, Where faith is grounded, with a sure confidence. I am soch a grace, and so high tidings of gladness, As raise the sinner, and pacify his conscience. I am spirit and life, I am necessary science. I require but love for man's justification, With a faith in Christ, for his health and salvation, God's been son have ye, it is joy of your life, I have heard of ye, and of my masters your wife, If thu heardest of me, it was by the voice of God. Nay, he that spoke of ye, was selling of a Cod, In an oyster boat, a little beyond queen hythe, A northern man was he, & besought ye to be blithe, If he spoke of me, he was some godly preacher, Nay ser by the rood, nor yet a wholesome teacher. After what manner, ded he speak of me? tell. He swore like a man, by all contententes of the Gospel He swore and better swore, yea, he ded swear & swear again. That speaking is such, as procureth eternal pain. Will not the people, leave that most wicked folly? And is so damnable? To hear it I am sorry. But what diddest thu mean, when thu spakest of my wife? Nothing, but I thought, it was joy of your life, That ye were so good, to your neybers as ye are. Why, how good am I? thy fantasy declare. Ye ease them among, if it be as I hear, When ye are a broad, there is fine miry cheer.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Thus a blynde crypple, I wander here alone, Abydynge the tyme, and grace of restauracyon, By the sonne of God To whom I make my mone, My cause to pytie, and graunt me supportacyon, Least I be left here, to vtter desolacyon, And extreme decaye, without any remedye. If he ded not helpe, of goodnesse and of mercye, Ye christen prynces, God hath geuen yow the poure, With scepture and swerde, all vyces to correct. Let not Ambycyon, nor Couetousnesse deuoure, Your faythfull subiectes, nor your offycers infect. Haue to your clergye, a dylygent respect And se they do not▪ corrupt the lawes of God, For that doth requyre, a terryble heauye rod. God gaue me to man, and left me ī tables of stone, That I of hardenesse, a lawe shuld specyfye, But the pharysees, corrupted me anone, And toke frō me cleane, the quyuernesse of bodye, With clerenesse of syght, & other pleasures manye. Now wyll I to Christ, that he maye me restore, To more perfeccyon, than euer I had afore. VNfaythfulnesse hath, corrupted euery Lawe, To the gret decaye, of Adams posteryte. Were is nott for me, whych now do / hyther drawe, All flesh wolde perysh, no man shuld saued be. I am Christes Gospell, and infallyble veryte, Soch a power of God, as saueth all that beleue, No burdene nor yoke, that any man wyll greue. In the bloude of Christ, I am a full forgeuenesse, Where fayth is groūded, with a sure confydence. I am soch a grace, and so hygh tydynges of gladnesse, As rayse the synner, and pacyfye hys conscyence. I am sprete and lyfe, I am necessarye scyence. I requyre but loue for mānys iustyfycatyon, With a fayth in Christ, for hys helth and saluacyon, Gods bene son haue ye, it is ioye of your lyfe, I haue hearde of ye, and of my mastres your wyfe, If thu heardest of me, it was by the voyce of God. Naye, he that spake of ye, was sellynge of a Cod, In an oyster bote, a lyttle beyonde quene hythe, A northen man was he, & bsought ye to be blythe, If he spake of me, he was some godly preacher, Naye ser by the roode, nor yet a wholsom teacher. After what maner, ded he speake of me? tell. He swore lyke a man, by all cōtentētes of the Gospell He swore and better swore, yea, he ded sweare & sweare agayne. That speakynge is soch, as procureth eternall payne. Wyll not the people, leaue that most wycked folye? And is so dampnable? To heare it I am sorye. But what dedyst thu meane, whā thu spakest of my wyfe? Nothynge, but I thought, it was ioye of your lyfe, That ye were so good, to your neybers as ye are. Why, how good am I? thy fantasye declare. Ye ease them amonge, if it be as I heare, Whan ye are a broade, there is fyne myry cheare.